Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today visited the 400-year-old Renkoji temple here to pay homage to Subhash Chandra Bose whose ashes have been preserved at the shrine.
Taking time off from his schedule, Vajpayee visited the temple and offered floral tributes at the bust of the eminent freedom fighter which was installed at the entrance of the temple in August 1990. Chief priest Moohi Zumi explained to the Prime Minister the importance of the temple. Several Indian dignitaries including late President Rajendra Prasad, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi had visited the temple in the past. The Nichiren sect temple was founded in 1594 by Nippo Shonin. The sect's head temple is Kuonji in Minobu. The mortal remains of Bose, who is believed to have been killed in an air crash in 1945, were sent from Japanese military headquarters in Taiwan to the general staff headquarters in Tokyo and finally to the Indian Independence League. Rev Nichik, Renkoji's 29th head priest, agreed to hold the funeral on September 18, 1945. The ashes were preserved at Renkoji by Rev Nichiki who continued to perform memorial services. Bureau Report